Multiple facilities for assembling cooking and dispensing food-products

ABSTRACT

The essential concept of this invention involves one or two facilities each comprising a pair of superimposed, relativelyshiftable elements and each facility being structured to have positioned thereon an ordered arrangement of portioned foodproducts subject to their being transferred, in the same ordered arrangement, onto an under-positioned support as a result of the relative shifting of the respective pair of elements; the facilities being adapted for use individually or collectively to position an ordered-arrangement of food-serving components on the under-positioned support and subsequently having the same ordered-arrangement of portioned cooked food-products superimposed on the previously-arranged food-serving components on the under-positioned support.

United States Patent Albright 1 July4,l972

[54] MULTIPLE FACILITIES FOR ASSEMBLING COOKING AND DISPENSINGFOOD-PRODUCTS [21] Appl.No.: 700,608

[52] U.S. Cl. ..99/355, 99/393 [51] Int. Cl. ,.A47j 37/08 [58] FieldofSearch ..99/352,356, 373,443,355,

3,193,663 7/1965 Budzich et al. ..2 19/405 3,266,442 8/1966 Udall et al.3,343,689 9/1967 Fehely 1.21 4/6 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 19,8641898 Great Britain ..99/443 Primary Examiner-Billy .l. WilhiteAttorney-Shoemaker & Mattare [57] ABSTRACT The essential concept of thisinvention involves one or two facilities each comprising a pair ofsuperimposed, relativelyshiftable elements and each facility beingstructured to have positioned thereon an ordered arrangement ofportioned food-products subject to their being transferred, in the sameordered arrangement, onto an under-positioned support as a result of therelative shifting of the respective pair of elements; the facilitiesbeing adapted for use individually or collectively to position anordered-arrangement of food-serving components on the under-positionedsupport and subsequently having the same ordered-arrangement ofportioned cooked food-products superimposed on the previously-arrangedfood serving components on the under-positioned support.

10 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 4 I972 sum 1 or 3 INVENTOR:CHARLES JERE ALBRIGHT ATT'Y PATENTEUJUL 4 I972 3, 673 948 SHEET 2 or 3 1NVEN'I'OAZ CHARLES JERE ALBRIGHT ATT'Y PATENTED L 4 SHEET 30F 3 FIG. 8

In 75x11 R: CHARI ES JERE ALBRIG HT MULTIPLE FACILITIES FOR ASSEMBLINGCOOKING AND DISPENSING FOOD-PRODUCTS There are two well-known types ofsituation where the cooking of portioned food-products-especiallymeat-for mass groups of patrons present a great problem. One of these isthe large catering operations for banquets. The other type is therestaurants and/or drive-in stands along the highways of the nation. Ineither of these operations, the current practice involves the placing ofthe food-products in or on heated cooking units, successively reversingthe food-products to complete the degree of desired cooking, and thensuccessively removing the cooked food-products for manual positioning onserving components. This latter may be plates for the banquets orbread-products generally required for dispensing sandwiches. I

The main objects of this invention are; to provide an improveddual-element food-processing facility adapted to have positioned thereonan ordered arrangement of portioned food-products subject to having'themtransferred, in the same ordered-arrangement, onto an under-positionedsupport as a result of the relative shifting of the dual elements; toprovide a facility of this kind which first may be used to havepositioned thereon an ordered-arrangement of food-serving componentssubject to their being transferred to the under-positioned support and,subsequently, adapted to have positioned thereon another type ofportioned food-product, in the same ordered arrangement, subject tobeing cooked thereon and then being transferred to thepreviously-transferred food-serving components, by the relative shiftingof the dual elements, and later, have positioned thereon, in the sameordered-arrangement, complementary food-serving components to betransferred onto the cooked food-products, as the result of anotherrelative shifting of the dual elements; to provide a dual-elementfacility of this kind wherein one element has a transverse series ofstrips, disposed in the spaces between the rows of food-products,whereby the relative shifting of the elements effects the successivetransfer of the rows of food-products onto the under-positioned support;to provide a dual-element facility of this kind wherein the otherelement has a series of spaced wires, transversely-arranged with respectto the strips on the one element, for supporting the respectivefoodproducts; to provide a dual-element facility of this kind especiallystructured for use in inserting into the horizontallydisposed, elongatedopening of a food-cooking apparatus of the type shown in the co-pendingU.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 682,033 now abandoned; to provide a pairof dual-element facilities of this kind wherein one is structuredespecially for transferring therefrom the ordered-arrangement of thefood-serving components and the other facility is structured especiallyfor the cooking of the meat-type food-products subject to the latertransferring thereof onto the food-serving components; and to providedual-element facilities of this kind of such simple construction as tomake highly economical the manufacturing and marketing thereof andexceedingly facile and gratifying the use thereof by purchasers.

In the adaptation shown in the accompanying drawings;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the presently-preferred structure of oneof the two dual-facilities;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the other dual-facility,positioned above a tray-type support for food-serving components;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the facility shown in FIG. 1 withthe elements in the process of being relatively shiftable for thepurpose of transferring positioned rows of foodproducts onto anunder-positioned support;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the facility shown in FIG. 1 with a pluralityof rows of food products positioned thereon;

FIG. 5 is a transverse, sectional view of the facility of FIG. 4 takenon the plane of the line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the facility of FIG. 4 with the foodsupportingelement in the process of being withdrawn to effect the transfer of thesuccessive rows of food-products onto foodserving components previouslyand similarly positioned on an under-positioned support;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the facility shown in FIG. 2 in theprocess of the elements being relatively shifted for the purpose oftransferring the positioned rows of food-products FIG. 8 is a plan viewof the under-positioned support of FIG. 6 after the facility has beenremoved;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the facility of FIG. 2 showing a plurality ofsimilarly-arranged rows of supplemental food-serving componentspositioned thereon preparatory to being placed over the food-productsupport of FIG. 8 for the transfer of the supplemental food-servingcomponents onto the foodproducts on the under-positioned tray;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one type of food-broiling apparatusespecially structured for use with the dual-element facility of FIGS. 1and 4;

FIG. 11 is a lateral, medial view of the food-supporting facility ofFIG. 9 positioned above the support of FIG. 8 preparatory to having therows of supplementary food-serving components transferred to theproducts on the support; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a type of handle needed for use intransferring a hot facility of cooked food-products over onto anunder-positioned support.

The herein-shown multiple facilities A and B, for processing portionedfood-products and embodying the foregoing concept, comprise therespective pairs of dual-elements l5 and 16 and 17 and 18 and which arerespectively structured to permit positioning on the elements 15 and 17prearranged rows of one or another type of portioned food-productsubject to their being transferred, in the same pre-arranged rows, ontoan under-positioned support 19, as a result of the relative shifting ofthe respective dualelements of the respective facilities A and B.

The elements 15 and 17 are structured to provide a horizontal, planarsupport for rows of portioned food-products. The respective elements 16and 18 are structured with a series of segments 21 disposed transverselyof the elements 15 and 17 which effect the transfer of the respectiveportioned foodproducts onto the under-positioned support 19 as a resultof the relative shifting of the respective elements 15 and 16 and 17 and18.

The elements 15 and 17, as herein shown are, respectively, in the natureof a rod'frame 22 spanned by a series of closelyspaced parallel wires 23anchored at their opposite ends to the transverse portions of the frame22. The elements 16 and 18, as herein shown, likewise are in the natureof a rod-frame 24 similarly spanned by a few widely-spaced wires 26anchored at their ends to portions of the frame 24. However, theselatter wires 26 are of slightly larger gage than the wires 23 for theframe 22. To these latter wires 26 are anchored the segments 21, shownherein as narrow, flat strips. These strip-segments 21 are disposedtransversely of the wires 26 of the frame 24 uniform distances as may bedetermined by the nature of the portioned food-products wherewith thesefacilities A and B are to be used.

Although these planar-support elements 15 and 17 herein are shown anddescribed above as wire structure, it should be understood that sometypes of such a facility may have such a planar support in the form of aflat sheet of suitable material.

The elements 16 and 18 of each facility A and B also have appropriatespacers 27 for resting on the under-positioned support 19, to disposethe facility the appropriate distance above the support 19. The form andheight of these spacers 27 are different for the respective facilities Aand B.

The support 19 here is shown as a tray with upstanding perimetricalflanges 28. The dimensions of such a tray would be determined by thesize of the facilities A and B. The important factor is that it be suchas will ensure the comer posts seating in the corners of the tray asindicated in FIG. 2.

The segments 21, as most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are narrowstrips of suitable material anchored to the series of wires 26.

In the facility A these spacers 27 are horizontally-disposed, elongatedC" contoured rods with upwardly-extending ends 29 anchored to the frame16. These serve as runners for the facile sliding insertion of thefacility into and withdrawal from a broiler of the type hereinbeforenoted.

In the facility B these spacers 27 are posts 30 anchored at the fourcorners of the frame 24. Such posts 30 are of lengths somewhat greaterthan the end parts 29 of the C-contoured rods for the facility A. Thisfacility B also has a pair of oppositely-arranged handles 32 (FIGS. 2, 9and 11). These similarly-structured elements and 17, of the facilities Aand B have grips 31 in the form of looped rods, fixed at one end (FIGS.1 and 2) for effecting the requisite shifting of these elements asindicated in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7. Such two facilities A and B arestructured thusly different for the reason that they are required forthe most expeditious use in assembling two different types offood-product for dispensing to waiting patrons.

The facility A is intended, normally, for use in broiling meatpatties-especially hamburgersin a type of broiling apparatus such asindicated in FIG. 10, or in other types of unit as shown and describedin copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 682,033. However, it will beunderstood that such a facility could be used in any type of broilerproviding for the horizontal disposition of the facility.

The facility B is intended, normally, for use in positioning bread-typefood-supporting components-especially lowerand upper-half buns-in amanner as will be explained presently.

Since the facility A is used for broiling food-products, it isadvantageous to provide a tool 33 (FIG. 12) for removing the heatedfacility A from the broiler and locating it over a foodsupport 19. Asshown in FIG. 12, this tool has a ribbed, cylindrical handle 34 to whichis anchored a two-pronged hook 35 spanned by a bridge 36. Such a tool isused, as shown in dotted outline in FIG. 6, where the two-pronged hook35 is inserted under one of the transverse segments 21 with the bridge36 resting on the middle wire 26. Thusly positioned, a firm grasp of thehandle 34 permits picking up the facility A and positioning it as shownin FIGS. 6 and 11 over the under-positioned support 19.

The operational use of these facilities A and B will be accommodated tothe conditions obtaining at the time. Obviously, there are occasionswhen the demand for just cookedmeat patties is great. Wayside stands andbanquets are two such types. For either of such circumstances aplurality of the facility A can have the meat-patties arranged thereonas shown in FIG. 4. Such loaded facilities can be stacked inconventional castored racks and wheeled into a refrigerator pending thetime when the cooked products will be needed.

When the time comes for a fast dispensing of such foodproducts, theloaded racks can be wheeled out adjacent a broiler complex. In rapidsuccession the loaded facilities A can be withdrawn from the racks andsuccessively inserted into a broiler. Upon their withdrawal from thebroiler, with the cooked-products, these facilities can be positionedover supports 19 whereon the food-serving components have beenprearranged. Thereupon, the cooked food-products can be instantlytransferred to the under-positioned food-serving components. All that isrequired is for the attendant to grasp the grip 31 and quickly withdrawthe element 15, as indicated in FIG. 6,

This shifting of the element 15 relative to the element 16 causes thestationary segments 21 to slide the successive rows of cooked productsalong the element 15 for dropping on the prearranged serving componentsas illustrated in FIG. 6. The result is indicated in FIG. 8, namely,cooked meat-patties resting on the lower-half of sandwich buns.

If, as indicated in the drawings, these facilities A and B are used fordispensing hamburger sandwiches, then, while a batch of meat-patties arebeing cooked, an attendant can be loading one or more facilities B withthe upper half of buns as shown in FIG. 9. Then, as soon as the facilityA has had its of sandwiches are ready for dispensing to the waitingpatrons.

Variations and modifications 1n the details of structure and arrangementof the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Food preparing apparatus for use with a broiler and forsimultaneously stripping a plurality of meat patties off their grill andonto their respective, prepositioned bun halves, said apparatuscomprising; a grill on which said patties are positioned in rows forbroiling, a stripper frame having a number of parallel blades extendingthereacross and between said rows of patties, said grill slidablebeneath and relative to said blades, said frame adapted to be positionedover a bun pan having bun halves prepositioned thereon, one half beneatheach patty, whereby said grill can be slid relative to said frame andthereby cause said patties to abut against their respective blades andbe pushed off said grill due to grill movement and onto their respectivebun halves.

2. A food processing facility for use in dispensing food productscomprising, a frame, a first supporting element having the food productsthereon in horizontal rows and in spaced relationship, the firstsupporting element being shiftable relative to said frame, a pluralityof horizontal elements on the frame and positioned above the firstsupporting element, the horizontal elements being between the horizontalrows of the food products, a second separate supporting element placedunder the frame, whereby upon shifting of the first supporting elementrelative to the frame the horizontal rows of the food products aredeposited onto the second supporting element in the horizontal rows andin substantially the same spaced relationship 3. The facility as setforth in claim 2 wherein the frame has side members supporting the same,the horizontal elements being mounted on the side members in spacedrelationship to each other.

4. The facility as set forth in claim 3 wherein the side members haveintermediate supports upon which the first supporting element isslidably mounted.

5. The facility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first Supportingelement is slidably supported on the frame.

6. The facility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first supportingelement comprises a series of parallel wires within a wire frame.

7. The facility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the frame and the firstsupporting element with the food products thereon support the foodproducts while the frame is inserted into a cooking facility and thecooked food products are transferred to the second supporting element.

8. The facility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the second supportingelement is adapted to receive a series of food supporting elementsthereon placed in the same spaced relationship as the food products onthe first supporting element, the food products being deposited onto thefood supporting elements when shifting the first supporting elementrelative to the frame.

9. The facility as set forth in claim 8 wherein the series of foodsupporting elements are bread products.

10. The facility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the frame has sidemembers supporting the same, the horizontal elements being mounted onthe side members in spaced relationship, the first supporting elementcomprising a series of parallel wires within a wire frame and slidablysupported on the frame.

1. Food preparing apparatus for use with a broiler and forsimultaneously stripping a plurality of meat patties off their grill andonto their respective, prepositioned bun halves, said apparatuscomprising; a grill on which said patties are positioned in rows forbroiling, a stripper frame having a number of parallel blades extendingthereacross and between said rows of patties, said grill slidablebeneath and relative to said blades, said frame adapted to be positionedover a bun pan having bun halves prepositioned thereon, one half beneatheach patty, whereby said grill can be slid relative to said frame andthereby cause said patties to abut against their respective blades andbe pushed off said grill due to grill movement and onto their respectivebun halves.
 2. A food processing facility for use in dispensing foodproducts comprising, a frame, a first supporting element having the foodproducts thereon in horizontal rows and in spaced relationship, thefirst supporting element being shiftable relative to said frame, aplurality of horizontal elements on the frame and positioned above thefirst supporting element, the horizontal elements being between thehorizontal rows of the food products, a second separate supportingelement placed under the frame, whereby upon shifting of the firstsupporting element relative to the frame the horizontal rows of the foodproducts are deposited onto the second supporting element in thehorizontal rows and in substantially the same spaced relationship
 3. Thefacility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the frame has side memberssupporting the same, the horizontal elements being mounted on the sidemembers in spaced relationship to each other.
 4. The facility as setforth in claim 3 wherein the side members have intermediate supportsupon which the first supporting element is slidably mounted.
 5. Thefacility as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first supporting element isslidably supported on the frame.
 6. The facility as set forth in claim 2wherein the first supporting element comprises a series of parallelwires within a wire frame.
 7. The facility as set forth in claim 2wherein the frame and the first supporting element with the foodproducts thereon support the food products while the frame is insertedinto a cooking facility and the cooked food products are transferred tothe second supporting element.
 8. The facility as set forth in claim 2wherein the second supporting element is adapted to receive a series offood supporting elements thereon placed in the same spaced relationshipas the food products on the first supporting element, the food productsbeing deposited onto the food supporting elements when shifting thefirst supporting element relative to the frame.
 9. The facility as setforth in claim 8 wherein the series of food supporting elements arebread products.
 10. The facility as set forth in claim 2 wherein theframe has side members supporting the same, the horizontal elementsbeing mounted on the side members in spaced relationship, the firstsupporting element comprising a series of parallel wires within a wireframe and slidably supported on the frame.